As the Museum of Welsh Life opens its doors to Bank Holiday visitors, it is celebrating a 90% increase in visitors.

The Wales Tourist Board has revealed that the living history centre at St Fagans, near Cardiff, has enjoyed a phenomenal boost from the abolition of admission charges.

The museum takes the top spot in a list of tourist attractions released by the WTB on Monday.

Top free attractions

Museum of Welsh Life 641,539 Pembrey Country Park 368, 853 National Museums and Galleries 324, 944 Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre 231,494 Wepre Country Park 200,000 Porthkerry Country Park, Barry 200,000 Parc Bryn Bach Tredegar 200,000 Big Pit 143,112 Welsh Slate Museum 134,803 Swansea Maritime Museum 106, 417

Overall, museums and galleries experienced a 32% increase in visitors while wildlife attractions saw a 13% rise.

Countryside and natural attractions, themed venues and leisure parks experienced falls of as much as 14% - largely because of last year's foot-and-mouth outbreak.

WTB chairman Philip Evans said Wales had a huge variety of attractions to offer.

"The top ten consists of the most visited attractions of last year, but there are many, many more, which may be on top of someone's personal list," he said.

"Many people come to Wales not only to visit attractions, but also to see some of Wales' many natural attractions such as the three national parks and 750 miles of coastline."

Top paid-for attractions

Oakwood Park 353,000 Portmeirion 241, 596 Techniquest 189,660 National Botanic Garden of Wales 187,026 Cardiff Castle 169,709 Caernarfon Castle 166, 187 Conwy Castle 154, 781 Bodnant Garden 148, 315 Llechwedd Slate Caverns 140, 910 Penrhyn Castle 103, 337

Figures show that 80% of visitors to Wales are from the UK,. In a WTB survey, 29% said scenery and beautiful landscapes had been the main factors which persuaded them to holiday in Wales.

The Welsh coastline, with its spectacular beaches helped pull in another 18%.

Last week, leading tourism operators called for more of Wales' attractions to give school children free admission.

Some privately-run businesses have claimed they are on the verge of bankruptcy because they cannot compete with public museums and attractions which were granted free opening by the Welsh Assembly.

The assembly has been asked to consider giving teachers vouchers for school trips to paid-for venues.

Ashford Price - who founded the award-winning National Showcaves Centre for Wales at Dan yr Ogof in the Swansea valley - has been a leading critic of the assembly's reluctance to put attractions like his on the same footing as museums.

Numbers are down at the Dan yr Ogof showcaves

He has seen serious financial problems as visitor numbers have plummeted - and he blames competition from free-entry attractions.

Welsh Culture Minister Jenny Randerson granted free entry to Wales' eight national museums and galleries in April 2001.

The UK government followed suit eight months later, abolishing charges across England.